Finding A House Sitter – Do You Go Local or Abroad?

Finding house sitters is easy enough. There are enough membership websites and advertisements to cover that. However finding the right one for you can be a very different story. What about where the house sitter originates from? Does that matter? Are you looking for a local, or someone from overseas perhaps? Regardless of where your house sitter comes from, you need to find the right person and fit for you. From a personal perspective, it is the quality of the person, not the place, that ultimately determines a good house sitter in my opinion.

Lets look at some of the opportunities that might come with choosing a local or a traveller from overseas to house sit or to pet sit a dog for you:

The Local:

There is a lot to be said about getting a local to look after your home and property.

For example they are familiar with;[green_tick_1_list width=”100%”]

The local area.
They know how to find and access goods and services.
Public transport and navigating and accessing the local infrastructure
They have their own support systems if required.
They understand you in a cultural sense – that is, there is no lost in translation directives for the house sitting assignment – something that can and does happen in cross cultural assignments.
The references and testimonials are most likely local and therefore more easily contactable and tangible – you have a much better opportunity to know them and do your due diligence.
The local might be more familiar with your breed of dog.
There is more accountability with a local generally speaking – that is, they live locally and therefore have a reputation to uphold and maintain locally. A traveller need not concern themselves with that as they may never return.
A good local can be a regular go to person for future house sits with you – a traveller most likely will there for one stay.
Locals know the weather better and may be in a better position to look after your garden than someone who is not familiar with your locality, or not familiar with looking after gardens for example.[/green_tick_1_list]

The Traveller:

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A person travelling may provide new and different perspectives and ways to look after your property.
They may provide an opportunity for you to travel to their country and stay or house sit for them in return.
It gives you the home owner an opportunity to help out someone on their travels.
This person may have certain skills that add value to the house sitting assignment.
This person might also bring/add something to the quality of the neighbourhood and the community simply by being the person they are.
Has this person taken the time to build up a body of work, or a demonstration of their experiences? For example a website or online presence, or a tangible demonstration or proof that supports who they are and where they have been?
A traveller may be more inclined to promise a lot from afar as they seek to secure a holiday stay – promises from afar don’t equal a demonstrated track record and proven local presence.[/green_tick_1_list]

Clearly there are benefits in choosing both. As mentioned earlier, the quality of the person is the main concern. That said, in a house sitting sense where the traveller is looking after the house (as opposed to a traveller for example staying with you and you all enjoying that cross cultural exchange) by themselves, the local house sitter may provide considerably more advantages and benefits for you.

To add a bit of perspective to the last sentence, I have been fortunate enough to look after peoples properties (independently and in association and relationship with them) both in Tasmania, and throughout Ireland, Wales and England. Its important to see the obvious difference between the value of someone staying with you – and someone simply looking after your home. For that reason, the local house sitter certainly does seem to have a few more comparative advantages to that of the traveller.

If you know of someone who may require the services of an experienced and trusted house sitter, or need a trusted person to pet sit a dog, please recommend my website to them.

It also really helps me get my message out there when people take the time to like and share my website with others.

For more information about my services, please go to the contact me tab at the top of the home page.

Craig Hedge is a professional house and pet sitter based in Hobart Tasmania Australia.
To find out about my current availability please go to:
https://www.craigshousesitting.com/

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you housesit outside of Tasmania?

Yes. I am always open to housesit throughout Australia and around the world. The future is open!

Why should my pets stay at home anyway?

Clearly there are good arguments for pets to stay at home instead of being sent to expensive, and at times noisy and crowded boarding kennels. Your pets can get stressed. The fact you are leaving them may be challenging enough for them. Add a noisy environment and take them out of familiar surroundings, and it can multiply the stress for your loved ones. As someone who is very familiar with assessing risk, the risk of stress increases when these situations are undertaken - particularly with sensitive pets who are used to being looked after.

Do you walk and exercise pets as part of your housesitting assignments?

Yes. Again this is negotiable and is determined on previously mentioned variables and the individual requirements of the home owner.

How much do I charge for dog sitting and house sitting?

My services are generally FREE of charge. Of course, it is dependent on the situation - and each housesit is different. Generally speaking, the more responsibilities or tasks may equate to additional costs. Much depends on the conditions within and around the housesitting assignment. In simple terms it is not just about what I can provide for you - it is also about what you can provide for me. It is a give and take situation. As a professional who knows the value of trust, security, experience and great service delivery, I know that paying peanuts usually results in acquiring monkeys. The more the stay works for me, the more negotiable I am. To be clear, my service is predominantly a FREE SERVICE.

What if something happens during the house sit like a problem or emergency for example?

This is where a plan is important, as well as contact details for various friends, family and services. My blog on the Home Page discusses this in more detail.

Why do I housesit and petsit?

At the end of 2014 I left my career at the Department of Treasury and Finance and decided to live my life in new and different ways - I needed a change. These days I am pursuing other interests and passions that work very well with house sitting. These include my writing and blogging, my life coaching, and my more flexible and adaptable approach to living all around the world. For now, house sitting and pet sitting works very well for my lifestyle.

What do you do as a house sitter?

This is dependent on what is required and negotiated. I offer a number of services and value adds for home owners during the housesitting assignment. See My Services on the Home Page for more information. Please also note that I am flexible and open to any roles and responsibilities that may be required during a home stay.

What duration do house sitting assignments generally go to?

Housesitting stays are negotiable. They can range from 1 night up to 12 months. It depends on my availability of course and the location.

How should I prepare my home and property for house sitting?

I suggest you write down a list of what needs to be done. You should also provide a contact list relating to any emergencies that might happen, or services that may be required during the housesitter stay. A good idea is to look at my blog on the Home Page of the website where I discuss these things in much more detail.

Can I find a house sitter to look after my house and pet/s as well as continue to rent my accommodation at the same time?

Yes. Each assignment is negotiable. I am flexible and adaptable to most situations. I understand that sometimes those staying in the home may not be as reliable or accountable in relation to the care and maintenance of your property and pets. With many home owners now using services such as Airbnb to rent out rooms, this is something that can be negotiated for the housesitting assignment.

Who pays for the household costs while I have a house sitter staying on the premises?

Each housesitting and petsitting assignment is negotiated and negotiable. Generally speaking, household costs are covered by the home owner during the housesit assignment.

Why should I use Craig's Housesitting services instead of a house sitting membership site or an agency?

My service is professional and it is operated solely and wholly by myself. Why is this important? Because entrusting your information and your assets to one trusted person considerably reduces the risk (and my working background centred around risk assessment and management) and maximises the level of confidentiality and security. I am a trusted housesitter with demonstrated long term results. Experience and reputation counts when you are trusting your major asset/s and your pets to be looked after and cared for.

Do I need to complete or sign a written contract for the housesitting or petsitting assignment?

No. My service is flexible and adaptable. Whilst I am more than happy to draw up a contract, this is not necessary. What is a requirement is that there is an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of both parties, and clear lines of communication prior to, and throughout the assignment.

How do you know that I am a trustworthy and reliable person?

I have provided around 30 testimonials and references on this website from my personal life coaching, my travelling and Workawaying in Australia and overseas, and through my housesitting and petsitting assignments. Prior to the end of 2014, I spent 10 years working for the Tasmanian Government in Compliance where I worked in a highly regulated and professional environment that required a high level of responsibility, autonomy and integrity. My role was to audit, licence, and regulate Tasmanian liquor and gaming premises. This was a position that required personal and professional responsibility, accountability and trust.